Four Steps to Finding Peace When Someone is Testing Your Patience

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

I had a conversation with an acquaintance a while back that really tried my patience. While my relationship with this individual had been wearing on me for some time, our interactions of late — while less frequent — had really taken a lot out of me. Maybe you’ve been there, too?

As part of my own personal growth, I try to be observant when I become agitated by another person’s actions. I attempt to respond thoughtfully, rather than react sporadically. I step back, take a breath. I observe. I consider.

In observing this particular relationship, I feel I’d done a rather good job of practicing patience, forgiveness, and holding space for the other person’s growth. So, this week, when I most felt the desire to react from an unloving, ego-driven, place; I took it as a sign to take pause and call upon the tools I’d been diligently adding to my toolkit over the past few years.

This wasn’t easy. I was tempted to react snarkily but knew that reaction would bring me only temporary satisfaction and ultimately take me further away from peace. So, as difficult as it might have been, I took the opportunity to practice these four steps to find peace when someone is testing your patience:

Witness your wound. When someone’s actions or words trigger us in a negative way, the…